DayofPal– A Palestinian-American businessman with ties to Donald Trump reportedly played a pivotal role in securing the release of Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli soldier held captive by the resistance in Gaza.
According to multiple officials speaking to Axios, the quiet efforts began in late April when a Hamas official operating outside Gaza reached out to Bishara Bahbah, a well-known activist and former head of “Arab Americans for Trump.”
Bahbah, a former academic turned political insider, had helped the Trump campaign make rare inroads among Arab-American voters during the 2024 election.
The initial outreach, meant to spark communication with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, laid the groundwork for what would become two weeks of discreet diplomacy, twenty messages exchanged via calls and encrypted texts, and even a conversation between Bahbah and senior Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that momentum surged in early May. However, Israel wasn’t briefed by Washington on the covert channel; instead, it discovered the quiet maneuvering through its own intelligence sources.
Alexander’s release, it turns out, was not just a humanitarian win but also a geopolitical chess move. Earlier negotiations had taken place in March, when Trump’s hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, held initial talks with Hamas leaders in Qatar.
On April 22, the process gained new urgency as Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani met with Trump and Witkoff at the White House, presenting a Hamas-backed plan for a sweeping captive deal and ceasefire.
The Trump administration’s response was cautious: a limited, short-term deal in exchange for the release of a select few captives, starting with Alexander.
A Palestinian official close to the talks told Axios that Hamas was informed that if Alexander was freed, the U.S. would push for a 70 to 90-day ceasefire and the release of 10 more captives.
The ceasefire would open the door to broader negotiations, with Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. acting as guarantors to prevent renewed fighting.
Israeli officials reportedly warned Witkoff that military operations were imminent unless a breakthrough came quickly. “We told Witkoff he has four days to get a deal. Afterwards we are going in,” one official said.
Even after Alexander’s release, politics remained tense. When Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, sources said he did not pressure Israel to alter its military plans or address concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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